Fixing mechanism for storage device

ABSTRACT

A fixing mechanism for fixing a storage device to an electronic device, the fixing mechanism includes: a bracket having a base; a pair of fixing members fixed to two opposing positioning sides of the storage device; a pair of latching members fixedly disposed on the base, and aligned in parallel to each other to hold the storage device and the pair of the fixing members each engaged with the corresponding latching member to fix the storage device; and a resilient limiting member fixedly disposed on the base between the pair of the latching members to resist a top surface and a third side of the storage device. The storage device may be secured by the latching members and the resilient limiting member, or detached from the fixing mechanism depending on the resilient deformation of the resilient limiting member or the restoring elastic force of resilient limiting member.

BACKGROUND

1. Technical Field

The present disclosure relates to fixing mechanisms and, particularly, to a fixing mechanism for a storage device.

2. Description of the Related Art

An electronic device, such as a typical desktop computer, server, and the like, usually include storage devices, such as hard disk drives, compact disk read-only memory drives, digital video disc drives, floppy disk drives, and the like. These electronic devices are typically added to increase the functionality of the electronic device as desired by a user.

A typical fixing mechanism for mounting a storage device to an electronic device, includes a bracket, a storage device holder, and a plurality of screws. The electronic device, such as a host computer, includes a case having a base and a sidewall. The bracket is perpendicularly fixed to the base of the housing, and is separate from the sidewall. The storage device holder includes two side frames, and a mounting protrusion extending upward from one of the side frames. The two side frames are opposite to each other. The storage device holder is disposed on the base and the mounting protrusion is fixed to the bracket by the screws. The storage device is fixed between the side frames by a plurality of screws. However, with the ongoing development of electronic devices, the electronic device has a relatively thinner configuration. Thus, there may be not enough space to disassemble the storage device with a screw driver. Therefore, disassembling the storage device is troublesome, and there is a risk of damaging other working elements of the electronic device during disassembly.

Therefore, there is room for improvement within the art.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Many aspects of the embodiments can be better understood with reference to the following drawings. The components in the drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale, the emphasis instead being placed upon clearly illustrating the principles of the embodiments. Moreover, in the drawings, like reference numerals designate corresponding parts throughout the several views.

FIG. 1 is an isometric view of an embodiment of a fixing mechanism for a storage device, the fixing mechanism including a resilient limiting member.

FIG. 2 is an exploded, isometric view of the fixing mechanism of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged, isometric view of the resilient limiting member of the mechanism of FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is an enlarged, partial, side cross-sectional view of the fixing mechanism of FIG. 1 taken along line IV-IV.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, an embodiment of a fixing mechanism 30, includes a bracket 10, a pair of latching members 32, a pair of fixing members 34, a pair of positioning protrusions 36, and a resilient limiting member 38. The fixing mechanism 30 is designed to position and fix a storage device 20 to an electronic device (not shown), such as a host computer, television set having a storage device, handheld game console, and so on. The electronic device includes a case, and the fixing mechanism 30 fixes the storage device 20 to an inner side of the case of the electronic device.

In the illustrated embodiment, the storage device 20 is a hard-disk drive. The storage device 20 may be substantially cubic. The storage device 20 includes a top surface 21, two positioning sides 22, and a third side 23. The two positioning sides 22 are opposite to each other. Each of the positioning sides 22 defines a screw hole 221. The two screw holes 221 are opposite to each other.

The bracket 10 includes a base 11, a first side sheet 12, a second side plate 13, a third side plate 14, and a fourth side plate 15. The base 11 may be substantially rectangular. The base 11 carries the storage device 20. The first side plate 12 defines a cutout 122 and two screw columns 121 in an inner surface of the first side plate 12. The second side plate 13 defines two screw holes 131. The screw columns 121 and the screw holes 131 fix the bracket 10 to the electronic device by a plurality of screws (not shown).

The pair of latching members 32 are fixedly disposed on the base 11 adjacent to the first side plate 12, and aligned substantially parallel to each other to hold the storage device 20. The pair of positioning members 36 extends from the base 11, and positioned adjacent to the third side plate 14. The positioning members 36 position the storage device 20 with the latching members 32. Each of the latching members 32 may be a sheet extending substantially perpendicularly from the base 11. Each of the latching members 32 defines a latching groove 321 at a bottom portion of each latching member 32 facing the resilient limiting member 38. The pair of the fixing members 34, such as screws or screw columns, is engaged into the corresponding screw holes 221 of the positioning sides 22 of the storage device 20. The fixing members 34 with the storage device 20 are mounted into the latching grooves 321 of the latching members 32, such that the storage device 20 is limited to slide along a direction substantially parallel to the third side plate 14.

The resilient limiting member 38 is fixed to the base 11 between the positioning protrusions 36 and the third side plate 14 to resist the top surface 21 and the third side 23 of the storage device 20, such that the resilient limiting member 38 limits the displacement of the storage device 20 along a direction substantially parallel to the second side plate 13.

Referring to FIG. 3, the resilient limiting member 38 includes a fixing plate 381, resilient plate 383, a mounting plate 384, and a limiting portion 385. The fixing plate 381 is fixed to the base 11. The resilient plate 383 extends upward from an edge of the fixing plate 381 to resist a side of the storage device 20. The mounting plate 384 extends from a top of the resilient plate 383 away from the storage device 20. The fixing plate 381, the resilient plate 383, and the mounting plate 384 cooperatively form a

-shaped structure. The limiting portion 385 extends from a top of the resilient plate 383 away from the mounting plate 384 to resist a top of the storage device 20. In this embodiment, the limiting portion 385 is a flat sheet that is coplanar with the mounting plate 384. The resilient limiting member 38 further includes a rivet protrusion 382 defined at the fixing portion 381 to be riveted to the base 11.

Referring to FIGS. 2 and 4, the storage device 20 positioned and fixed to the electronic device (not shown) with the fixing mechanism 30 includes the following steps. Firstly, two fixing members 34 are partially screwed in the corresponding screw holes 221 of the storage device 20. Secondly, an end of the storage device 20 is placed on the base 11 to mount the fixing members 34 into the corresponding latching grooves 321. Thirdly, the mounting plate 384 is pushed toward the third plate 14 with an external force, such that the resilient limiting member 38 deforms to allow the storage device 20 to be fixed. In addition, the storage device 20 is limited between the pair of the positioning protrusions 36. Fourthly, when the external force is withdrawn, the resilient limiting member 38 is resumed to resist the top surface 21 and the third side of the storage device 20, such that the storage device 20 is secured on the base 11 of the bracket 10. Finally, the bracket 10 with the storage device 20 is fixed to the electronic device.

The storage device 20 can be detached from the base 11 of the bracket 10 with the following steps. Firstly, the mounting plate 384 of the resilient limiting member 38 is pushed towards the third plate 14 by an external force until the third side 23 of the storage device 20 is freed from the resilient limiting member 38. Secondly, one end of the storage device 20, adjacent to the resilient limiting member 38, is drawn out from the resilient limiting member 38. Finally, the fixing members 34 with the other end of the storage device 20 are disassembled from the latching grooves 321 of the latching members 32.

Thus, it is very convenient to assemble or dissemble the storage device 20 to and from the electronic device. In addition, the structure of the fixing mechanism 30 is relatively simple.

It should be pointed out that the numbers of the latching members 32, the fixing members 34, and the positioning protrusions 36 can be more than two. It should be pointed out that, in an alternative embodiment, the positioning protrusions 36 can be omitted. The resilient limiting member 38 can also be integrally formed.

Finally, while the present disclosure has been described with reference to particular embodiments, the description is illustrative of the disclosure and is not to be construed as limiting the disclosure. Therefore, various modifications can be made to the embodiments by those of ordinary skill in the art without departing from the true spirit and scope of the disclosure as defined by the appended claims. 

1. A fixing mechanism for positioning and fixing a storage device to an electronic device, the storage device comprising a top surface, two positioning sides, and a third side, the fixing mechanism comprising: a bracket having a base; a pair of fixing members fixed to the two positioning sides of the storage device; a pair of latching members fixedly disposed on the base, the latching members aligned substantially parallel to each other to hold the storage device and engaged with the corresponding fixing members to fix the storage device; and a resilient limiting member fixedly disposed on the base between the latching members to resist the top surface and the third side of the storage device, wherein the storage device may be secured by the latching members and the resilient limiting member, or detached from the fixing mechanism depending on the resilient deformation of the resilient limiting member or the restoring elastic force of the resilient limiting member.
 2. The fixing mechanism of claim 1, wherein the resilient limiting member comprises a fixing plate fixed to the base, a resilient plate extending upward from an edge of the fixing plate, and a limiting portion extending from a top of the resilient plate to resist a top of the storage device.
 3. The fixing mechanism of claim 2, wherein the resilient limiting member further comprises a mounting plate extending from a top of the resilient plate away from the limiting portion; the fixing plate, the resilient plate, and the mounting plate cooperatively form a

-shaped structure.
 4. The fixing mechanism of claim 3, wherein the limiting portion is a flat sheet that is coplanar with the mounting plate.
 5. The fixing mechanism of claim 2, wherein the resilient limiting member further comprises a rivet protrusion defined at the fixing portion, the rivet protrusion is riveted to the base.
 6. The fixing mechanism of claim 1, wherein each of the latching members is a sheet extending substantially perpendicularly from the base; each of the latching members defines a latching groove at a bottom portion thereof facing the resilient limiting member; the fixing members with the storage device are mounted into the latching grooves of the latching members.
 7. The fixing mechanism of claim 1, further comprising a pair of positioning members extending from the base to position the storage device with the latching members.
 8. The fixing mechanism of claim 1, wherein the bracket further comprises a first side plate extending from an edge of the base, the first side plate defining at least one screw column to fix the bracket to the electronic device by a plurality of screws.
 9. An electronic device, comprising: a case; a storage device comprising a top surface, two positioning sides and a third side; and a fixing mechanism positioning and fixing the storage device to an inner side of the case, the fixing mechanism comprising a bracket having a base, a pair of fixing members fixed to the two positioning sides of the storage device, a pair of latching members fixedly disposed on the base, and aligned substantially parallel to each other to hold the storage device and engaged with the corresponding fixing members to fix the storage device, and a resilient limiting member fixedly disposed on the base between the latching members to resist the top surface and the third side of the storage device, wherein the storage device may be secured by the latching members and the resilient limiting member, or detached from the fixing mechanism depending on the resilient deformation of the resilient limiting member or the restoring elastic force of the resilient limiting member.
 10. The electronic device of claim 9, wherein the resilient limiting member comprises a fixing plate fixed to the base, a resilient plate extending upward from an edge of the fixing plate, and a limiting portion extending from a top of the resilient plate to resist a top of the storage device.
 11. The electronic device of claim 10, wherein the resilient limiting member further comprises a mounting plate extending from a top of the resilient plate away from the limiting portion; the fixing plate, the resilient plate, and the mounting plate cooperatively form a

-shaped structure.
 12. The electronic device of claim 11, wherein the limiting portion is a flat sheet that is coplanar with the mounting plate.
 13. The electronic device of claim 10, wherein the resilient limiting member further comprises a rivet protrusion defined at the fixing portion, the rivet protrusion is riveted to the base.
 14. The electronic device of claim 9, wherein each of the latching members is a sheet extending substantially perpendicularly from the base; each of the latching members defines a latching groove at a bottom portion thereof facing the resilient limiting member; the fixing members with the storage device are mounted into the latching grooves of the latching members.
 15. The electronic device of claim 9, further comprising a pair of positioning members extending from the base to position the storage device with the latching members.
 16. The electronic device of claim 9, wherein the bracket further comprises a first side plate extending from an edge of the base, the first side plate defining at least one screw column to fix the bracket to the electronic device by a plurality of screws. 